The ultimate pedal and shoes discussion

[Stefan Mikes]

The pink Stamp 1 pedals are ready to be sent to a female MTB rider in Wrocław (Breslau) on Monday She loves the pink! I hope she would post some pictures so I could re-post them.

 

[goldconch]

I had bad luck with my first set of VP-831P "sandpaper" pedals which seemed like a good deal. The soft Cr-Mo threading on one pedal arrived several degrees off center, and the threads were painted with a combo of thread-killing black paint and entombed sandpaper grit. Over half the threads stripped off and crank arm will need to be replaced. Not super-expensive, just kinda irritating, especially during a lockdown when shops aren't running properly. Tried tapping it out twice and no luck.

 

[MeDotOrg]

For years I rode my acoustic road bike with Shimano SPD road cleats. I found using cleats (aka 'clipless pedals') to be necessary for good power delivery while pedaling at a brisk cadence. Without cleats, your feet tend to fly off the pedals at faster cadences. Plus, you have no ability to pull up on the pedal as you round the 6 o'clock position.

I've tried platform pedals with pins recently on a MTB bike I rented to try out some trail riding. They're not bad at all, and for trail riding I would definitely prefer NOT to be 'cleated-in', just in case I have to get my foot down on the ground quickly.

But back to cleats... about 10 years ago, my knees started to bother me after riding 10 miles or so. This was annoying, to say the least. I did some research and read about Speedplay pedals. Their 'free float' design was purported to exert less stress on the knees, and as an added bonus, made the pedals especially easy to detach from. The old SPD design required that you twist your heel outward against the binding spring pressure that tries to center your foot. But the Speedplay design has no centering spring, so it's very easy to twist out of (but I've never had an unintentional release).

Rather than move to a Speedplay road pedal, I bought MTB shoes (they range the gamut from shoes that look like road-racing shoes to designs that look like robust hiking shoes) and bought compatible Speedplay Frog pedals. My knee pain went away! Plus, I much prefer the MTB design, as the cleats are smaller and located closer to the center of the sole, allowing you to walk perfectly normal... unlike road cleats that force you to waddle with the toes of your shoes an inch off the ground.

Now, some purists will say that MTB pedals don't allow you to apply force to pedals as efficiently as road SPD pedals, but I've never noticed this. I feel I pedal plenty efficiently and can spin fast when I feel like it, and my feet are positively attached to the pedals. Plus, it's very easy to detach in a flash, should the need arise.

So... check out Speedplay Frogs.

Had the same problem with my knees. Went to Speedplay frogs (I'm a road rider), Loved them. Easy on the knees, easy to unclip.

 

[percymon]

When i bought my Fastroad EXPRo the Giant store said it didn't come with pedals, but they'd fit some generic items. When i checked the specs it said it did come with aluminium 'city' pedals. I wasn;t expecting much but they aren't too bad, but after a few rides I now know that they are not really wide enough for my moderate EU43 feet. I'd already ordered some Chinese 'RaceFace Chesters', which arrived at the weekend; as per many online videos these seem exceptional quality for the money ( US$14 delivered !) and as they won't be subjected to muddy trails could prove to be a reasonable long term option. I bought these initially to just have a set of starter pedals, and to see what the quality was like but I think I might be keeping these on for some time to come. As for shoes I've found that a quite old pair of Salomon Trail walking shoes are well suited to lock onto either type of pedal.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

RaceFace Chesters

One of the most popular brand/model pedals. I chose RaceFace Ride for my favourite e-bike, as these are equipped with plastic moulded pegs instead of sharp pins found in other large pedals I also use (CrankBrothers Stamp).

 

[percymon]

One of the most popular brand/model pedals. I chose RaceFace Ride for my favourite e-bike, as these are equipped with plastic moulded pegs instead of sharp pins found in other large pedals I also use (CrankBrothers Stamp).

Yes, less shin damage with the Rides - i managed many years of forest trail riding on the analog bike without stabbing myself with the metal pins!

 

[goldconch]

If anyone is like me and just wants a barefoot/flipflop-friendly ebike pedal, with grip paper, I replaced the dud VP-831P (see above) with Moto Urban Flat "Reflex" from Germany. Pretty happy with these. Although it doesn't look like it in the photo, the orange reflector strip perfectly matches the Classon signal lights, and gives the ebike a modern look.

 

[FlatSix911]

If anyone is like me and just wants a barefoot/flipflop-friendly ebike pedal, with grip paper, I replaced the dud VP-831P (see above) with Moto Urban Flat "Reflex" from Germany.
Pretty happy with these. Although it doesn't look like it in the photo, the orange reflector strip perfectly matches the Classon signal lights, and gives the ebike a very refined look.
View attachment 69245

Interesting design... looks a lot like a sanding block?

 

[goldconch]

Interesting design... look like a sanding block?

Basically a mobile 600 grit exfoliation block. You could probably retrofit with 400 on the other side to really buff out any rough heel spots before the date night.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Some news from the Winter battle-front!

Because of low temps I've been experiencing for the last couple of days, I had to start wearing leather mountain hiking boots again. The bad news was the Race Face Ride pedals (which are easy on shins and calves and hold feet nicely in the warm season) made my boots slip a little. So I took a pair of spare CrankBrothers Stamp 7 Large pedals from my storage and replaced the Rides with them.

The first ride might have ended with a crash! It's because the Stamps hold the rider's feet as strongly as if these were the clipless/cleat ones. I need to remember to lift my feet from the pedals before stopping...

 

[antboy]

I thought I'd follow up on my Vessi's report. I still love them, but there's a couple of caveats...

Pros: very lightweight, waterproof and windproof so surprisingly well in cold weather for something so light. Great stickiness to flat pedals. NON-SLIPPY when walking. SUPER impressed with the traction on them, even walking in typical Toronto city snow (unshovelled sidewalks, sloppy slush etc)
Cons: just "okay" durability", boy are they burr and thistle magnets.

Overall: The shoes use a Dyma-tex knit, which gives them their lightweight and water/windproof properties, but it's also the downside for any barbed plant. I wouldn't recommend them for MTB riding, but if you're mostly on city streets, and "cleaner" trails (meaning no barbed plants), these should last you a fair while. They're much better than many other sneakers (like Chucks, or your typical athletic shoe).

It also helps that they're a small Canadian brand, so I'm happy to support them (waves tiny Canadian flag).

I've also been riding a lot with a pair of Five Ten Freerider DLX, which are great all around riding shoes.

If I'm going on dedicated rides (the kind where I might find new side trails into unknown territory), I'll wear the Five Ten's.

If I'm mostly city riding, or am riding to run errands, or "destination" riding, where I'll be doing a lot of walking and the such, I'll take the Vessi's, as they're way more comfortable as a general purpose shoe (the Five Ten's are a little chunky and "clippity clop" when grocery shopping etc).

A couple of months ago, Vessi introduced a new design that doesn't have the flared out sole, which I've promptly ordered... should be arriving this week.

Men's Weekend - Asphalt Black on Black – Vessi Footwear Canada

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Some news from the Winter battle-front!

Recommendations for cold-weather biking:

Find a good pair of insulated snowshoeing boots: e.g. Merrell Thermo Overlook 2 -- I'd recommend checking the laces and shortening them and perhaps using a toggle closure, both because it won't catch on the chain and because it is easily to handle with gloves or mittens.

I also highly recommend neoprene socks for extremely soggy or extremely cold conditions: NRS Hydroskin Wet 0.5 -- note that neoprene socks do not breathe and if you wear them for extended periods you will get trench foot. So while they are useful and extremely effective you've got to be a bit careful with them.

If the temperatures are above about 10C I just ride in trail runners and thin socks. Feet are waterproof and dry out quickly if your footwear allows it.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Winter's rolling in, folks... these are my primary pedals for the next few months

 

[Art Deco]

Winter's rolling in, folks... these are my primary pedals for the next few months

View attachment 72291

Rock On Ride On .

 

[Bufatutu]

I'm having a terrible time finding any real flat pedals for my new e-mtn bike. The bike came with some nice what I'd call cagey flats, Bontrager Line Elites. But I need even pressure on the bottom of my feet, so.... When I say real flat pedals I mean what folks here refer to as sandpaper pedals. I've had foot problems for years and so I got Ergon flatties for my 29er when I bought it ten or so years ago. I put a couple of thousand miles on a year on that bike with those pedals, mostly on roads and dirt bike trails. (I run Big Apple tires, which I also adore.) Now the Ergons are no longer made and don't seem to be available anywhere--I've had a watch on German ebay for more than a year with nothing. I've thought of taking them off my 29er, but that implies that I won't be riding it anymore(I've only ridden it once since I got my ebike a month ago, and I ride 4-6 days a week until there's either ice or snow on the road.) So I started googling and the only other real sandpaper flatties I can find are the Vp 836 and 831 and the Bontrager Satellite Citys, both of which get negative comments here. In fact I notice what look like Sat Citys in the very first post of this thread. What's a boy, well a 72 year old boy, to do? Thanks for any suggestions on flatties.

 

[goldconch]

I'm having a terrible time finding any real flat pedals for my new e-mtn bike. The bike came with some nice what I'd call cagey flats, Bontrager Line Elites, but I need even pressure on the bottom of my feet, so.... When I say real flat pedals I mean what folks here refer to as sandpaper pedals. I've had foot problems for years and so I got Ergon flatties for my 29er when I bought it ten or so years ago. I put a couple of thousand miles on a year on that bike with those pedals, mostly on roads and dirt bike trails. (I run Big Apple tires, which I also adore.) Now the Ergons are no longer made and don't seem to be available anywhere--I've had a watch on German ebay for more than a year with nothing. I've thought of taking them off my 29er, but that implies that I won't be riding it anymore(I've only ridden it once since I got my ebike a month ago, and I ride 4-6 days a week until there's either ice or snow on the road.) So I started googling and the only other real sandpaper flatties I can find are the Vp 836 and 831 and the Bontrager Satellite Citys, both of which get negative comments here. In fact I notice what look like Sat Citys in the very first post of this thread. What's a boy, well a 72 year old boy, to do? Thanks for any suggestions on flatties.

Same here. After a bad set of VP, I went with Moto Reflex Flat (with quick USA air shipment from Germany) and I'm very happy with them. See post/picts further above

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Winter's rolling in, folks... these are my primary pedals for the next few months

I see a Strat here. What is the other guitar?

So I started googling and the only other real sandpaper flatties I can find are the Vp 836 and 831

After a bad set of VP

What could have gone wrong with VP-831? Good pedals if you ask me. These were used as the stock ones on my Vado.

Find a good pair of insulated snowshoeing boots: e.g. Merrell Thermo Overlook 2 -- I'd recommend checking the laces and shortening them and perhaps using a toggle closure, both because it won't catch on the chain and because it is easily to handle with gloves or mittens.

I also highly recommend neoprene socks for extremely soggy or extremely cold conditions: NRS Hydroskin Wet 0.5 -- note that neoprene socks do not breathe and if you wear them for extended periods you will get trench foot. So while they are useful and extremely effective you've got to be a bit careful with them.

Thank you for recommendation!

Vessi's report

Are the Vessi's warm enough for serious winter?

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Stefan, what we have here is a 66 Strat and and 98 PRS CE24 (oops, make that a 93 - the others were 98s). Several others around, but nowhere near as many as I used to have! I am feeling the itch for another Stratocaster though, it remains to be seen if I can hold that off.

 

[antboy]

Are the Vessi's warm enough for serious winter?

I would say "moderate" winter at best, or just below 0C, and a couple of hours, and not much more.

Since you mentioned poor circulation, I'd definitely say not in your case.

As a frame of reference, I'd put them as marginally warmer than Five Tens, definitely more waterproof. They're only shoes, of course, so no ankle coverage.

There's serious snow coverage, or deep slop, you'll probably get a soaker.

All my winter riding with them last season was city riding (streets, MUP, no off-road). Close to a coffee shop at the half-way point. I wouldn't want to be away from civilization on unpaved trails in the winter on them. I don't think they're really designed for that level of abuse.

More general info: They're actually slip-ons, despite the laces. I have wide feet (or "hobbit feet" as my ex says!). I'm a US 10 1/2 and on the border of 2X to 3X wide. The Vessi's were super snug at first (borderline uncomfortable) but they eventually became compliant and comfortable while still being snug. Since they don't offer half sizes, they recommend ordering one size up, but I went against their guidance and ordered size 10 as opposed to 11, since I'm really more of a 10 1/3 than 10 1/2.

 

[goldconch]

I see a Strat here. What is the other guitar?



What could have gone wrong with VP-831? Good pedals if you ask me. These were used as the stock ones on my Vado.


Thank you for recommendation!


Are the Vessi's warm enough for serious winter?

@Stefan Mikes One of the VP pedals I received was DOA from a quality control standpoint. The cro-mo threading was off significantly and had chunks of sandpaper grit entombed in the black thread paint. Even being gentle spinning these on with allen key stripped the delicate threads on my crank arm. I tried resuscitating with left and right 9/16 20 tap/die to no avail. So, I not only had to get new pedals, but also a new crank set. I did like the look of them though. They were not particularly expensive, and I was going to roll the dice again and just order another set, with new crank arms, but seller had pulled them from their Amazon store, and as of today still not back.